knolan wrote:PS - to the moderators - judging by the lousy viewing figures, it looks like few visit this forum, yet I suspect these shootouts are of interest and are relevant to all. I'd recommend you move these back to the general synthesizer forum. I realise you might feel these should be sidelined because they can be repetitive but actually, there are not that many shootouts inadvertently repeated and I suggest you are not doing such important comparisons justice - virtually nobody is reading or contributing to them simply because nobody thinks to come to this forum.

I don't know what 'lousy viewing figures' you're talking about, threads in here get around the same number of views over time as ones in General. Looking at the figures for the first few threads of comparable size in the two forums, Shootouts actually has a higher view:reply ratio.

There is a reason vs. threads are put in a separate forum, and you hit the nail on the head when you said:

knolan wrote:so much of this is subjective

So basically, people are looking at the threads but they're not posting on them because they don't have anything to add, they haven't used the two synths and so can't compare them, they don't find the conversation interesting or some other reason. Vs topics aren't going back in general, that's just how it is.

shaft9000 wrote:The JP-8 oscillators are special. It's one of the the only mass-produced polysynth afaik (along w/ OB-X and CS-50/60/80?) where the oscillators are discrete and not IC-based.

Polysix? I prefer some of the polysix stuff to what I'm hearing above, 1 VCO and limited features or not.

Having said this I had BAD GAS for JP-6 for ages but I think it's shifting a bit now after watching many many demos and a limited hands on. Jupiter 8 - would love one of course but would never pay the money they fetch, they are not that important to me (or my music)

I've had my JP-6 for thirty years (gah) and have never had access to a JP-8. It's probably only over the last few years that I've really started to unlock the potential of the JP-6. What's funny is that while out was when I got Europa that I started understanding the synth better, it wasn't really any of the (admittedly awesome) added functionality of Europa that was impressing me, per se. More that I was just hearing the keyboard's standard functionality in a new light.

In particular, I started to realize that the sweet spots are extremely sweet but somewhat limited, so I needed to be more delicate with how I designed sounds, playing with the filter and such. I started to realize tricks like assigning the pitch bender to one VCO and setting it to wide sweep could unlock some amazing performance capabilities and some fairly outlandish osc sync sounds.

When I listen to the Jupiter 8, in various YouTube videos and demos, I hear a very different instrument. While they do share a lot if functionality and cosmetics, where the JP-6 really feels like a polyphonic Odyssey in a lot of ways, the JP-8 sits somewhere between a CS-40/60/80 and a Moog -- swirly, discrete oscillators, a heavier sounding filter, etc.

To me, as much as I used to deny it, probably out of loyalty to the model I owned, they really are different beasts. And to some extent, I think the Jupiter 6 is poorly served by being compared to the earlier model as it is an incredible instrument in its own right.

I've only had a JP-6 for a month (and I am having to sell it ...PM if interested) but I really really like it. I have not played a JP-8. The 6 is instantly playable. In fact, it sits and yells at you until you come and play it. It feels like an extension of yourself. I can see how people might describe it as colder than its cousins (the Jupes are related, but not siblings). It is great for very dark punchy pulsating arpeggiated basslines.

I wish it could go a tad bit sharper in the high end at points, but that might iron itself out with more experience playing.

It can really thunder in the low end as well. And I mean thunder, like getting caught in a storm. It's powerful. Maybe not as powerful as the 8, but the prices it fetches are not close to the JP-8, either.

12 osc unison is pretty cool. PWM bass is metallic and can frighten small children.

All around very flexible and awesome to play live, even if you're not a great keyboard player. I will be pining for it after I sell it.

Walter Ego

seamonkey wrote:I nominate this for STUPIDEST THREAD ever in the history of the internez.

The JP-6 sounds brasher in some places because the envelopes aren't set totally equal. You can clearly hear the filter cutoff sustain point is higher on the JP6 vs the JP8 on the same brass sounds.Also the JP6 seems to have a slightly louder output volume. The two synths don't have the exact same envelope times, maybe that's why it doesn't sound totally the same. He should have set the filter sustain envelope lower to get more similar curves, then they'd sound more equal.

It is kind of "cheating", because we hear soft sounds as warmer than brash sounds.

does the JP-6 have separate XLR outs for U/L section like the 8 does?it's one seriously LOUD set of synth outputs - set trim on your mixer channel to zero and it still clobbers the preamp input if the JP-8's volume knob is past 12 o'clock

shaft9000 wrote:does the JP-6 have separate XLR outs for U/L section like the 8 does?it's one seriously LOUD set of synth outputs - set trim on your mixer channel to zero and it still clobbers the preamp input if the JP-8's volume knob is past 12 o'clock

Are you running the XLRs into the mic pres on your mixer or the line ins? If the former, that's where your problem's coming from.

Bitexion wrote:The JP-6 sounds brasher in some places because the envelopes aren't set totally equal. You can clearly hear the filter cutoff sustain point is higher on the JP6 vs the JP8 on the same brass sounds.Also the JP6 seems to have a slightly louder output volume. The two synths don't have the exact same envelope times, maybe that's why it doesn't sound totally the same. He should have set the filter sustain envelope lower to get more similar curves, then they'd sound more equal.

It is kind of "cheating", because we hear soft sounds as warmer than brash sounds.

If this is true ^^^, then comparisons between the two synths (or between any synths) should require stricter controls: equal filter settings, equal amp settings, equal detune settings, etc..

One way to share patches across synths, would be to share all the parameter settings. That way, emulation would be quicker, and differences would become clearer.Unfortunately, comparisons are usually made by "ear only."